Climate Change

Protecting our environment and tackling climate change is one of the most important issues facing us today. All the other challenges we face will count for little if we fail to provide a sustainable planet for future generations. I joined with former Labour leader Ed Miliband MP to secure Government agreement to make the zero carbon emissions target, agreed at the Paris climate talks, legally binding in the UK. Now the Government must fulfil the commitment that they made to us.

Green energy must be a priority, but the Government is cutting subsidies for renewable energy, whilst incentivising the carbon-emitting practice of fracking. I challenged the Environment Secretary over the Government’s decision to bring forward cuts to onshore wind subsidies. Since the referendum I have pushed the Government to commit to meeting the EU’s 2020 clean energy target, arguing that the vote to leave is not a vote to forget our commitments to tackle climate change. I have written about how this Government is scrapping vital policies Labour introduced to meet the challenge of climate change.